First Same-Sex Marriage Takes Place In Ireland

Cormac Gollogly and Richard Dowling were hitched in a ceremony in South Tipperary, becoming the first same-sex couple to tie the knot in Ireland.

Cormac Gollogly and Richard Dowling during their wedding. This was the first same-sex marriage that took place in Ireland

The first same-sex marriage took place in Ireland this morning.

Cormac, 35,  a barrister from Terenure met Richard, 35, who works with AIB and is from Athlone in The George 12 years ago and they have been together ever since.

Two years ago Richard proposed to Cormac on a beach in Sitges in Spain and Cormac instantly accepted.

Two months ago, Cormac and Richard formed a civil partnership at a ceremony at Kilshane House near Tipperary town.

When the marriage equality legislation was enacted, they came back to South Tipperary to tie the knot.

Both ceremonies were performed by Senior Registrar for South Tipperary, Mary Claire Heffernan. And she confirmed this morning that the couple is indeed the first same-sex couple to be hitched.

The ceremony took place in the HSE Community Care Hospital in Clonmel and the couple signed the register on a hospital trolley.

Cormac wore a light grey/blue Hugo Boss suit and Cormac opted for a Ted Baker country gentleman look.

Cormac said to the Irish Times, that they had decided to go ahead with the civil partnership ceremony in September because there was still legal challenges to the referendum result and they weren’t sure that it was going to survive such challenges.

“It’s ‘Murphy’s Law’ had we not booked the civil partnership ceremony, then I bet the marriage referendum would not have passed, “ joked Cormac.

Richard and Cormac sealed their marriage with the giving and receiving of a ring.

Following their civil partnership ceremony in September, the couple enjoyed a two-week honeymoon in the Maldives. This time, they travelled back to Dublin for a celebratory meal with family and friends this afternoon.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

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